Marion county pool teams come home in the money
Special to the Ocala DownTown news
Five Marion County amateur pool teams traveled to Las Vegas in August to compete in the World Pool Championship, American Pool players Association world finals that took place August 4-15, and each team won cash prizes.
In the 8-ball competition, Best Served Cold and Ohana finished in their respective divisions in the 385th spot, winning $350, and Racks on Racksss finished 65th, winning $1,500 for their team.
In the 9-ball competition, Cue Carnage finished in its division at 518th, and X-Cues Us finished 385th. Both teams won $350. Continue reading
By TomL
Here we go again… To you who fought the gas line? They are back! Dunnellon people are telling me they got a letter. The gas line agents want us to give them permission…I give them permission for nothing! They want permission to mow NO! They want permission to survey NO! They have no business on my land! They decided that we believed their trickerey and now they want to convince us again that they are good guys. I will never believe anything they say. The Marion County Commissioners said they would never approve it, THEY DID so what does that make them? They Dunnellon city council said they would not let them go through our district THEY DID what does that make them! They said they would like to put something long the gas line right away. IT IS NOT A RIGHT AWAY. It is a ONE time lease for one gas line. They said they want to put something in 2029 don’t believe it they it’s a trick. They will be going through two ten acre pieces and a 5 acre piece, on my sister in law and ten acres on our family farm. That depreciates the land and if the gas line blows up, what happens to the people that live along side of it?
Next I want to talk about Robert Balfour (Military)
When I met him he was a great story teller and a great writer. He lived everything he wrote a great warrior. He would write every month about the military episodes he was involved in, all while playing golf every day in the Villages. He had a love for golf and was good at it! We work together for several years and one day he called and said I need a favor? I said name it! He was diagnosed with cancer and was going to die, At best he had a year maybe, I was shocked. He went on to say he wanted to send more than one letter/column per month and would like me to run his letters and columns after he was gone, I agreed, I really was honored that he would ask me to do that. He last ten months then I saw his obit . in the daily Sun and I ran his Obit. He had a road in the villages named after him. Continue reading
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the questions of right and wrong conduct, moral duty, justice, fairness and the principles that should guide human behavior. Ethics asks: What should we do and why is it the right thing to do? It focuses on moral standards, not on government rules. It is the study and application of moral principles that determine what is right, fair, just, honest and responsible in human conduct. So what would an “ethical” tax system look like? It would be a tax system that is more consistent with principles such as fairness, honesty, transparency, equal treatment, respect for privacy, limited coercion and protection of human dignity.
Our current income/payroll tax system requires every American to report details of his or her earnings, deductions, investments, business expenses, family status and financial life to the federal government every year. This is some of the most sensitive and private data we have. Under an ethical tax system, that would be none of the government’s business.
Enforcement requires government inspection, forced disclosure and the assumption that citizens must prove they have paid enough in taxes. A tax system that requires constant surveillance of private income is inherently disrespectful of personal liberty. That’s not ethical. Continue reading
Pictures at an Exhibition: From Dali to Mussorgky
Saturday, October 24, 2026 – 7:30 PM & Sunday, October 25, 2026 – 3:00 PM | AdventHealth Mainstage
Open Rehearsal (free to the public): Friday, October 23, 2026 – 7 PM
Open the season with a feast for the senses as the full orchestra launches the year in spectacular fashion. This program transforms iconic works of visual art into sound—surreal, sweeping, and unforgettable. Michael Daugherty’s dazzling The Hallucinogenic Toreador bursts with color and wit, channeling the dreamlike world of Salvador Dalí, while Rachmaninoff’s haunting Isle of the Dead draws listeners into a darkly beautiful, hypnotic soundscape inspired by Böcklin’s mysterious painting. After intermission comes one of the greatest orchestral showpieces of all time: Pictures at an Exhibition, Mussorgsky’s vivid musical gallery, brought to blazing life in Ravel’s brilliant orchestration. Bold, immersive, and thrilling from the first note to the last, this season opener is a must-hear celebration of art, imagination, and orchestral power.
Pops! Goes the Holidays
Saturday, December 5, 2026 – 7:30 PM | Sunday, December 6, 2026 – 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM | AdventHealth Mainstage
Pops Goes the Holidays is a jubilant celebration of the season, blending beloved holiday classics, festive pops favorites, and symphonic sparkle into one unforgettable evening. This concert captures the warmth, nostalgia, and sheer joy that define the holidays, as the full orchestra brings new life to timeless carols and cherished winter melodies.
Sponsored by On Top of the World Communities Continue reading
FOR INCLUSION IN COMMUNITY CALENDARS AND LOCAL EVENTS:
Friends of the Ocala Public Library is holding its next clearance book sale beginning on Friday, September 11, for Friends members only (memberships are available at the door) from 1:30 pm-3:30 pm, and then opens to the general public on Saturday, September 12, 10 am-2 pm. Sale is held in the Ocala Public Library headquarters meeting rooms, 2720 Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.
Proceeds of the sale benefit children and adult programs, materials, audio and ebooks, and staff development at Ocala headquarters, Reddick, Ft. McCoy, Sankofa, and Silver Spring Shores branches of the Marion County Public Library system.
All childrens books and all paperback books are 25 cents each, and hardbacks are 50 cents each. Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted.
By TomL
The American Dream is to be born free. Get and education. Choose a career of your choice. VERY IMPORTANT! Choose something you like to do. Apply yourself and believe in the company you work for. Ninety nine percent of the time you will come out ahead.
Some careers start mowing the yard of a farm and the farm starts a company as an Equestrian Complex, surrounded by large lot Equestrian Mini Farms. Think about the possibilities Land maintenance around the complex that you might start. Go to Farrer school and learn to shoe horses. Drive one of their people carriers buses? Drive a Horse carrier. I could go on and on.
Suppose you wanted to go to college Go on line and see what is available in grants? Once you learn about Grants maybe start a business teaching the youth how to apply for grants. Maybe keep your best student to join your team teaching the youth about the possibility’s. Keep it as a positive and not a negative! Continue reading
(OCALA, FL.) Aug. 8, 2026 – Ocala Fire Rescue responded to a serious vehicle collision involving a pickup truck and a tree on SW 51st Terrace and SW 38th Street, at approximately 4:44 a.m.
Upon arrival, Rescue 4 found a white pickup truck wedged between a tree and a fence line, showing significant damage. Due to the positioning of the vehicle, one of the two occupants would need to be extricated.
Rescue 4 and Engine 4 requested additional resources, including a second transport unit, Battalion Chief 11, and Squad 7. Crews used hydraulic cutters and spreaders to safely remove the top of the vehicle’s cab and perform a dash lift to gain access to the passenger.
Both occupants were transported to the hospital – one as a precaution for further evaluation, and the other as a trauma alert.
Marion County Fire Rescue and the Florida Highway Patrol also responded.
Ocala Fire Rescue urges all residents to practice safe driving habits, especially during early morning hours when visibility may be compromised.
(OCALA, FL.) Aug. 18, 2026 – Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) has taken an emphatic step forward with the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement at the city council meeting on August 18. The agreement sets the stage for enhancing recruitment and retention of high-quality personnel.
Beginning October 1, 2026, the department will implement competitive starting pay rates that will position OFR as a top choice for firefighters in North Central Florida. Firefighter/Paramedics will start at $77,890.67, and Firefighter/EMTs at $66,270.27 – competitive compensation aimed at attracting the finest talent in the field.
The agreement also includes a groundbreaking transition to a D-shift schedule, evolving to a 24 hours on, 72 hours off work model by September 30, 2029. This change demonstrates OFR’s unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of our firefighters and to preventing the physical exhaustion and stress imposed by demanding professions like ours.
Additional contractual highlights include an annual 3% COLA for the duration of the bargaining agreement, 88 paid holiday hours, and vacation buyback availability.
“We are eager to begin recruitment of the next generation of public servants that will guard our community,” said Fire Chief Clint Welborn. “Investing in our present and emerging workforce reinforces our commitment to public safety, ensuring both those receiving services and those providing them are well-supported.”
As Ocala Fire Rescue continues to adapt to the community’s evolving needs, this ratified agreement marks a crucial step in building a resilient, well-compensated team dedicated to excellence in fire service.
For more information about Ocala Fire Rescue’s upcoming recruitment opportunities, please visit www.ocalafl.gov/employment.
By TomL
When I get up in the morning I look at my emails, read what I want to read save or delete then I go to SPAM!
I scan the list some of the filthiest teasers you would ever want to see, I choose not to read any of them. They are trash! If you are one of these people sending out trash, I hope they catch you! I turn them into State Attorneys office!
When it comes to trash there a few different types of trash. While watching TV Tray Gowdy, South Carolina he was talking about how the tax payers can’t take a walk without stepping in human feces, also known as stool or poop! Where is this coming from, I mean I know where it is coming from, but what give these people the idea they can do that? A tax paying citizen has to avoid stepping in shit to walk their dog or to just take a walk with their family! You know how they break a dog from going in the house??? The department of sanitation should give out fines or work details called clean up time for going to the bath room on the places where people walk. If they are not from this country deport them to where they would get shot for doing what they are doing here!
By TomL
In today’s world what does that mean. That means that if you want to be a Socialist, your family and friends and neighbors died in vein, in the wars in the past! Our Veterans fought and some died so you and I could be free. If you become a Socialist you can’t own anything, it’s not yours, it belongs to the Government regime! Today if you work hard and work smart you can buy a house, have a wife or husband, have children and live in a society that your children / family can be safe and free.
Good example I went to Cuba. As a young boy of 14yrs I won a Jr Optimist oratorical Contest. My subject was “Freedom our most precious Heritage”, I presented my speech at the Hotel National. Batista was there, I met him. He shook my hand and said something I did not quite get. The people in Havana seemed to be happy, a few seemed rich and most were rich in happiness. Some farmers growing fruit, produce and vegetables on the land, selling what they grew in the fresh markets on the streets, then the worst happened. At first were no one realized that Castro was fighting for Communism and for himself not the people. He appeared to be a Socialist but really he was a communist, the United States even gave him some aid. When he took over Cuba the people were happy but that changed rapidly when he took their businesses, their houses and any boy that turned 15 years of age was taken from their family and put in the military. It was a fun beautiful country back then after it took a dark look. Batista was probably just as bad but the people I saw seemed to like him, maybe they had to like him? But they did not have a choice. By the way the some of Batista family settle in Ocala Florida. Now the people of Cuba are not BORN FREE! If you do something that the government does not like, they turn the electricity off in the whole neighborhood for a week or more. There is no communication, no AC, no frozen foods, no groceries to buy, no gas, no cars that run, no TV, etc! So is that something you want and like because people like Mamdani will bring it to you. YOU WON”T BE FREE! In Iran communist country they hang people who say something they don’t like. If they demonstrate they mow them down if automatic weapons and Bulldoze the bodies to a grave. Continue reading
